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monopoly

Akamai now ranks Australia's Internet service as 60th in the world. "Serious experts agree that the right telecom infrastructure for the next century consists of universal FTTH on the ground and a universal wireless cloud above, supported by the FTTH foundation. But you don't need a national monopoly to achieve this. And private monopolies are just as bad. Indeed, a monopoly of any kind is usually counterproductive. US developments are proving that you can build the future network --even in sparse rural areas--- with multiple parties, even small ones on a purely commercial basis with private money.....And do it faster and better than either private or government monopoly typically does. Would this work in Australia?"

The history of the industry reveals a continuing tension between the forces of competition and concentration. Having coursed through eras of monopoly, competition, and regulated monopoly, the telcos are now in a more competitive arena. There is regulatory uncertainty on the issue of net neutrality.